Parliament speaker Talakvadze visits US, explains benefits of proportional voting in Georgian elections

Archil Talakvadze became the parliament speaker of Georgia last month. He left for the US on his first official visit in the new role. Photo: Parliament press office.

Agenda.ge, 18 Jul 2019 - 11:25, Tbilisi,Georgia

Georgian Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze, who has recently been elected to the role, is visiting the United States on his first official trip, where he said that the proportional voting system, put forward by the Georgian Dream ruling party, will increase the legitimacy of the government and help stability in the country.

He made the statement at the US Congress Democratic Partnership Leaders Forum late yesterday, where he delivered a speech on Georgian democratic reforms.

The Georgian parliamentary delegation is in the US. Photo: Parliament's press office. 

Talakvadze said that Georgia adopted constitutional changes in 2018, “which are crucial for democracy in our country.”

Now, Georgia is a parliamentary republic. It was not easy to transfer from the super-presidential to a stable parliamentary republic. The previous model did not ensure the balance in state institutions. The reform we carried out increased the role of parliament and ensured the balance the state needed,” Talakvadze said.

Talakvadze also spoke about the Georgian occupied territories, saying that the “occupation is temporary.”

The Georgian Dream ruling party accepted the proportional voting system for the upcoming, 2020 parliamentary elections amid rallies in Tbilisi.

The country was otherwise to have moved to the proportional representation system starting 2024.